Friday, March 9, 2012

The artistic class I am involved with at the Philadelphia (International) Flower Show is titled "Pressed Plants". It sounds so....blah, yet is vibrant and amazing. I am not tooting my own horn here, but that of the many entries that come from all over the world. For years the Philadelphia Flower Show ( PFS), has been the most prestigious, international pressed flower art competition. Entries are submitted from across the US, Japan, China, Russia, Korea,Taiwan and other countries. The "Pressed Plant" wall as I refer to it, often hosts some of the best pressed flower art and artists. These entries, mostly pictures, are sometimes so detailed that they look like paintings, not pressed plants. Some of the entries take months to finish. Using only pressed plant materials, where coloring/dying is not allowed, often presents many challenges when trying to create depth,shadows, lighting and the likes. I'm not just talking about a few flowers glued to paper in an arrangement . I am talking landscapes, buildings, portraits,oceans, animals and many other themes.

Take a look at some of this years pictures, fully created using only plant materials. I am sure you will agree with my "wows!"

Above: First place winner in the Pressed Plants novice class, calling for a scene that depicts a lei. This was one of my favorites this year.

Above: A wonderful beach and ocean scene using many different shades of hydrangea to create the water, wave and sky. Unfortunately it was unable to be judges as it was stamped by the artists, which is not allowed, so blind judging can occur.

Above: This picture of a volcano took First Place, "Best of Blues".

Above: Another of my favorites, Third Place winner in "Waialua" calling for the colors of the Hawaiian rain forest.

Above: First Place winner in "Wailalua" class.

Above: Honorable Mention was awarded to this rain forest scene.

Above: Second Place winner for the "Waialua" class, done by Shelly Xie, another member of the World Wide Pressed Flower Guild.

Above: Some of the Youth Class pictures , titled " Hala-Hakiki" ( Pineapple). The Youth Class is fairly new to our competition. I think we started it three years ago, four at the most.

Above: Another rain forest entry

If you read the title for this blog, it stated artists as well as art. So, onto the next part....

Being a Pressed Flower Artist in our country is not common , but not necessarily uncommon. It is definitely a different art form than most people choose, but none the less, it truly is an art. That being said, when you find people who really get you and what you do, you bond. You teach, share, and sometimes steal flowers together. (Yeah, I said it). Again, these people "get" me. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I belong to a group of Pressed Flower artists."The World Wide Pressed Flower Guild" is an international, online based group from around the world. Many us rarely meet.We hold classes and forums online. However, I am centrally located near a few members, and fortunately the Philadelphia Flower Show brings a few of them to me every year. In addition a few friends and members fly in to perform judging. This all adds to the excitement of the show for me. Being with my "petal family" is always fun.

Below are pictures from our activities during the first few days of the show.

World Wide Pressed Flower Guild Members visit at The Philadelphia International Flower Show.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

The race to finish my pieces for the flower show has come and gone. Show prep, set-up and judging are all in the past. For me, the opening weekend of the Philadelphia International Flower Show is mixed with fun,stress, time with family and friends, excitement and very little rest. I wouldn't be honest if I said I didn't like it, despite all the work involved.

Some of the highlights for me include days with fellow pressed flower artists, lots of good meals, and the opportunity to see the show before mostly everyone.

The theme this year is Hawaii. It ranks at the top of my list of recent flower shows. I love the show every year, but this one is a winner in my eyes. There have been many changes behind the scenes and on the floor. Regular show goers will notice things aren't in their usual place. For those of us in the Pressed Plants classes, and other small artistic classes, this is great news. We have relocated from the very back of the show to just behind the main entrance. I love it. I have seen more people view our walls this weekend than ever.